


Tranquility

by onceuponachildhood



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Abuse, Gen, POV Second Person, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 14:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3981313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponachildhood/pseuds/onceuponachildhood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You do not feel as you once did, and it is both a blessing and a curse. || oneshot from the pov of a tranquil</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tranquility

* * *

You wake from a restful sleep, untroubled by the demons that plagued you before. You wake, and stretch, and the bruises on your ribs, your arms, your hips, throb with the movement. The templars that beat you the night before said it was for the good of the people. “We protect the innocent public from you _robes_ \- half a step away from being an abomination every minute!” Violence is how they keep the mages in line. Mages in line means public protected. This is why you were given the brand, they said; because you were very susceptible to demons. This is why, they said, and yet if you are Tranquil then why have the beatings not stopped? It is a question you know would only be answered with more fists.

You rise from your cot and pull on your robes, more habit than necessity. Without your connection to the Fade, you have no need for your delicate enchanted silks. But they look nice, which is usually enough to keep the gawking public from looking too closely when you leave the Circle for business. They also cover the bruises. You work with the younger apprentices sometimes, teaching herbalism lessons and helping the little ones dress. If they were to see the bruises they would be afraid.

You do not want them to be afraid. It is illogical to have them try to learn in an environment where they feel they must keep their head down and mouth shut, you would reason if asked. You also try to keep them unafraid because something from before, some urge or feeling so embedded in your mind that it survived the brand, cries out to protect these little innocent children. You do not think of them as mages first. You do not think of them as apprentices first. They are children first, wide-eyed and fragile and looking for someone, anyone, to trust. Better to trust you who will not let them down than to turn to a templar and regret that decision when they are older. You would regret your own choice, if you could feel such.

You open the door and there is a templar waiting for you. “To the courtyard,” he says. “You’re selling wares today.” He urges you forward with a gauntleted jab into a bruise on your back; the pain is a motivator where before indignation would have stopped you to glare at the templar. You do not glare now. You only think that should an unfortunate end come to the templar, it would only be divine retribution. You do not feel that there is no Maker because He allowed you to have your everything stripped away, but you still think it and you have ceased your prayers now. You do not feel that the Maker is cruel; you _**know**_ that men are.

You stand in the courtyard of the Gallows, and you wait. Occasionally people come to buy enchanted wares. For the most part, you stand in the sun and burn. Your robes chafe, but you do not shift to make yourself more comfortable. If the templars were to know that their injustices could still harm you despite the brand, surely the injustices would only increase. You do not have to feel this. You have seen them hit harder when someone cries. You have seen them give out harsher punishments to those that fight back. You have seen them go back to victims who flinch before they will go back to those who stand quietly and hope for it to be over sooner. It is cruel; you know this to be true. You stand quietly in the sun and feel the sun burn your cheeks. You bide your time. When the Circle inevitably falls apart, you will take the children and you will protect them, and your lack of fear will be a blessing.

* * *

 

 

 


End file.
